Fibroids & Cysts: 3 Tips To Stay Clear of Fibrocystic Diseases

You have fibroids....

Fibro- WHAT? 

Uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, fibrocystic breasts and endometriosis all fall under the conventional medical umbrella of Fibrocystic Diseases.  First, let’s change our mindset and reclassify them as symptoms of a larger imbalance, not a disease.  

The rates of women diagnosed with one or more of these imbalances are staggering.  With regards to fibroids, the U.S. department of health claims that fibroids are now an important public health concern, and by age 50, 70% of white women & 80% of African American women will have developed fibroids.  According to those statistics, almost all of us, will develop some form of fibrocystic imbalance!  

Yet, despite all the ‘research’ and money spent trying to find treatments, not the causes, the rates keep climbing.  Even more unfortunate is the fact that conventional treatments have not advanced from what was advised decades ago, most notably surgery and birth control.  

More than 200,000 hysterectomies are performed annually for complaints from heavy, periods and debilitating, searing pain associated with fibroids, cysts and endometriosis.  

Most are medically UNECESSARY.  

Conventional medicine seems to subscribe to the idea that women are just destined to suffer throughout their reproductive lives.  And lack of advancements in options for women have left us with stalled, inefficient treatments such as:

Watchful waiting 
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Many women with uterine fibroids experience no signs or symptoms, or only "mildly annoying signs and symptoms that they can live with”. 

If you’re rolling your eyes right now, you have to understand the framework of conventional medicine.  

From their perspective, fibroids are noncancerous, so there’s really nothing to do but leave them alone until menopause, when they magically shrink, or when surgical intervention becomes appropriate due to the size of growths that finally interferes with your quality of life.  

​Medication
Prescription medication slaps a band-aid on symptoms such as heavy bleeding or irregular periods, pelvic and menstrual pain.  It doesn’t address the underlying causes of fibroid or cyst formation.  
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The first approach is often birth control pills or progestins (IUD contraception) to help control menstrual bleeding. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormones (Gn-Rh agonists) such as Lupron and Synarel, block the production of estrogen and progesterone to immediately stop bleeding by putting you in a post menopausal state.  

Can you scream hot flashes at 30!  

This approach is so controversial that this method can only be used for no more than 3-6 months because it can cause bone loss and other menopausal symptoms.  Oh, and by the way, this doesn’t impact the growth of your fibroids.  

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) 
We’ve all taken them for the occasional cramps, headaches, and pains.  These are over the counter Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen), Alieve (naproxen), etc.  

But, as the pain tends to increase over time, the dosage and dependency increases, often times followed by stronger prescription narcotics such as Percocet, Vicodin and Codeine.   

Even though they are sold over the counter, they do come with some serious side effects such as intestinal, liver and kidney damage.  At a minimum, they do create imbalances in the good gut bacteria and tear up the healthy lining of your intestine.  

Surgery
Where conventional science continues to focus on is in technologically based surgical advancements for fibroids, cysts and endometriosis, not on preventing the causes.  Although, they excel in minimally invasive forms of intervention, such as MRI guided focused ultrasound, uterine artery embolization, myolysis, ablation and robotic myomectomy that sound straight out of Star Trek, there are risks, recurrences (yes, fibroids will return with an extra layer of scar tissue to add), and doesn’t ‘get rid’ of the ultimate underlying causes.  

Given these options, it’s no surprise fibrocystic imbalances are a growing epidemic.  

Realistically, you’re decades away from menopause, so waiting is completely unrealistic, and you’re probably at the peak of your reproductive years, so you might want to keep your uterus as intake as possible!  And even if you're not reserving that space for babies, it's your power organ, you probably want to hold on to it!  

So what’s a girl to do?  

Start With A Natural Approach

There are MANY underlying factors that may ultimately manifest into one or more of these forms of fibrocystic imbalances.  In this post, I want to focus on the main factor, heavily researched, cause and ways you can prevent it from throwing off your system.  

Estrogen dominance
Estrogen dominance (too much estrogen) is relative to it’s sister hormone progesterone. One main problem with estrogen is that it’s a really popular.  Fibroids have higher concentrations of the aggressive estrogen, estradial (e2), which binds to more estrogen via receptor sites, These sites are like magnetics, pulling in even more estrogen to bind to it.  And they don’t discriminate, they will bind to synthetic estrogens called Xenoestrogens, that we get from our food, water and environment.  

Although it’s been vilified, we need estrogen.  But, clearly not so much!  When in balance estrogen makes you feel social and outgoing, at peak times of the month it helps you feel more attractive in an effort to get a mate and have babies, it also gives us our curves and cleavage.  

But like an out of control teenager, estrogen needs to be kept in check or it dominates the sex hormone landscape, especially when it comes to progesterone.  

Unfortunately, diets high in processed foods, low in vegetables, dehydration, high levels of stress that plays a role in keeping progesterone levels low, and an overwhelming amount of environmental chemicals all work together to compromise our bodies.  

Your goal is to set up your hormonal ecosystem in a way that clears excess estrogen from your body daily.  

3 Tips To Clear Estrogen Dominance

#1 Improve Detox Pathways
Flush out excess estrogens by eating abundant daily amounts of leafy greens and cruciferous veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, turnips.  
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I know, let’s get real, when was the last time you had a turnip!  But, cruciferous vegetables are important for your liver because they contain the compound DIM Diindolylmethane.  

DIM is the primary metabolite of Indole3 Carbinol (I3C) and has been heavily researched and to promote healthy estrogen metabolism.  But, most supplement forms are made from raw cruciferous vegetables, and that can slow down thyroid function.   

However, it’s no secret that Maca (lepidium peruvianum chacon) helps balance hormones.  It partially does this because it contains DIM.  DIM promotes healthy estrogen metabolism while maintaining balanced levels of progesterone and testosterone.  But you must make sure Maca supplements are pre-cooked, not raw.  

A yummy way to consume Maca is to roast it in the morning and drink it as a morning coffee substitute.  Try it with some almond or hemp milk and enjoy a stable amount of energy too.   

#2 Improve Gut Health
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We have good and bad bacteria in our intestinal tract and these play a huge role in detoxification.  It’s not just about the liver all the time.  Elevated levels of bad bacteria, found in the intestine, called glucuronidase, block the elimination of estrogen and actually enables it’s recirculation back into the body.  
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​This can be toxic.

To strengthen detoxification an all fronts, you have to strengthen your digestion.  Prioritize fresh, organic fruits and veggies, grass fed and finished beef and poultry.  

Take a full spectrum digestive enzyme supplement before meals to help aid digestion.  If you have frequent bloating, get tested for food sensitivities that may be causing intestinal inflammation.  

Add fermented foods that contain good bacteria and fiber such as coconut yogurt and non dairy kefir, kombucha, pickles, pickled beets and sauerkraut.  

​Make sure to take a probiotic containing a minimum of 50 billion CFU’s of good bacteria.  

#3 Watch What You Drink

Pisco sours, margaritas, strawberry lemonade vodkas, I can go on and on, but unfortunately alcohol is all liquid sugar that sets you up for blood sugar problems, while simultaneously increasing estrogen levels.  

For optimal estrogen metabolism it is recommended that you eliminate alcohol.  

Sorry, to be such a buzz kill!  

But, there’s a middle path. ​

Now, if a girl just can’t turn down a drink, make sure to take a B vitamin complex the following day. Alcohol depletes B vitamins that are essential for your liver to metabolize estrogen, so make sure to fill the void, but try not to make it a safety crutch for drinking all the time.  

Good news for wine lovers.  

​Red wines such as Merlot and Pinot are rich in Resveratrol antioxidants that may have an ability to remove excess estrogens.  Make sure to get an organic, sulfite free wine, since grapes are heavily sprayed with pesticides (those xenoestrogens!)  

Think Long Term 

A natural approach in dealing with estrogen dominance is the foundation for the reversal and prevention of fibrocystic imbalances such as fibroids, cysts, endometriosis and fibrocystic breasts.  

Remember, the National Institute of Health, states that fibroids can shrink without intervention, and cysts generally ‘resolve’ on their own.  By having basic information on how your body works, especially estrogen, you are one step closer to making the changes your body needs to transform your life from the root up.  ​

Feel free to share on Facebook with your tribe.  Say hello, comment or ask a question.  If you're ready to take a shortcut and shrink your fibroids, dissolve your cysts and have a normal functioning life free from period pain, the schedule your FREE 30 minute Womb Analysis with me to discuss how easy it really can be!